Monday 23 April 2012

Day 22, Cortege


Cortège.
The Mercedes in Poulton square was bullish
it and its twin, grey, sleek, moving
through the pedestrian way, to the church
no doubt. Their drivers knew the rules.

I could have followed their passengers,
slipped into a pew, out of the way, listened
to how it ends: a small life unpicking,
from memory to eulogy and back
while flesh, now flame, turns into memento,
bureaucracy to genealogy,
triumphs, tragedies nailed to the tree
with more or less honesty.

But I did not, just detoured round the cars,
feeling sunlight on my back, while I could.

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